Device for controlling the current produced by vapor rectifiers



Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,951

P. M. G. TOULON DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE CURRENT PRODUCED BY VAPOR RECTIFIERS Original Filed May 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Invent or- Piemne MG. Toulon, by

His Attovne 4 Jan. 3, 1928.

P. M. G. TOULON DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE CURRENT PRODUCED BY VAPOR RECTIFIERS Original Filed May 22, 1925 2 Shgets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PIERRE MARIE GABRIEL TOULON, F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIG'NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE CURRENT PRODUCED BY VAPOR RECTIFIEES.

Original application filed May 22, 1925, Serial No. 32,226, and in France May 27, 1924. Divided and. this application filed October 27, 1926.

My invention relates tomeans for making use of vapor rectificrs such as those disclosed in my United States Patent applications 682,093 and (382,095) for producing optic 6 signals corresponding to telephonic signals impressed on the control arrangement: ol the rectifier. In the above mentioned applications this control arrangcment consists in a metallic coating surrounding the rectifier and the potential of which prevents, when it; brought above a given value, the are-from forming in the rectifier before a givcnnioment of the half period during which it is normally ignited.

According to my invention, the primary circuit transmitting the sounds acts on the potential of the said coating in view of making the intensity of the light given out by the arc vary accordingly.

This invention is a division of application Ser. No. 32,226 filed on May 22, 1925.

In the appended drawings Fig. 1 shows by way of example, a device t anstorming electric telephone signals into optic signals. Figs. 2 to 5 are explanatory diagrams.

Fig. 1 gives the electric connections used with an arc rectifier for opti wally transmitting radio-telephonic signals and it desired for registering them.

The apparatus as shown allows a modulation that is, a series of changes very close together in the rectified current, according to the potential of the grid of an ionic valve connected with the rectifier acting as a relay.

The progressive 'ariation ot the rectified current is caused (see Fig. by n1odil' \'in; i the phase of the alternating current feeding the coating or outer grid oi the rectitir-r the frequency of which is equal to that of the current feeding the anode. The ('litl'erencc of potential between the anode and the cathode being shown by the curve 27 and that between the coating and the cathode by the curve 28, the arc will be ignited when the latter difference of potential is positive and greater than the value obtained at 29. A current. the intensity of which is shown by the curve 32 passes during the interval 31,.

The phase displacement between the potentials of the anode and ot the coating can be controlled at will as hereinafter set. forth.

Fig. 3 shows the phase. of the difference of potential between the anode and the cathode.

Serial No. 144,623.

Two ditl'erent phases of the difference of potential between the coating and the cathode are shown in O A and O B. Each oi" these can be obtained by combining the anodc-cathmle ditl'erence of potential X and a variable difference of potential X A or X B. The phase-displacement ot' the result'ant alternating di'lt'crence of potential a or I) would be caused only by the value of the vector X A or X B.

Therefore for altering progressively the phase of the potential of the coating, it, is suflicicnt to add a potential the alternating phase of which is constantly in opposition with that of" the anode and an alternating potential of variable amplitude making a phase angle of 90 with the potential of the anode. Fig. 4 shows the curve corresponding to the current passing through the rectifier. Fig. 5 shows the curve correspomling to the some current after it has passed through a number of induction coils.

The two component potentials are produced in secondary windings ofa transformer the primary winding whereof is fed by the same supply as the are itself. The current the potential of which is opposed to that of the anode is obtained simply by closing the circuit of one of the secondary windings over a resistance devoid of self induction. The second current the potential of which is at 90 to the preceding one is produced in another winding of the transformer which is closed through a large induction coil and a resistance connected in series, the current to the coating being branched at the extremity of the said resistance.

The value of the current opposed to the potential of the cathode is constant whereas that of the second current is variable. In View of this the ionic valve through which passes the current to the coating is connected in series with a resistance the value of which is equal to the mean value of the resistance of the interval filament-plate. A potentiometer in parallel with the lamp and the resistance allows an adjustment of the potential.

TVhen the potential of the grid in the electron valve varies, the current in the plate changes, the fall of potential in the resistance in series with the lamp changes, whereby the value of the alternating current at 90 with the feeding current of the rectifier anode changes correspondingly. This causes a phase-displacement in the potential of the coating and consequently, a corresponding variation in the value of the rectified current.

This arrangement allows thus the value of the rectified current to be controlled at every moment. It is therefore very useful for amplifying any infiexion in the value of the current passing through the ionic valve. Thus it can be used in numerous cases such as for the exact adjustment according to the temperature in a cold-producingplant of the speed of an electric motor which drives said plant; a thermo-electric couple acts upon the grid of the lamp and the current rectified by the rectifier feeds the electric motor. This permanent adjustment is far superior to the methods actually used according to which the regulative means hecome operative only when a certain temperature is reached.

Returning to the description of Figure 1, the microphone 1 fed by the battery 2 1s connected in series with the primary of a telephonic transformer 3, the secondary of which feeds the grid 4 of an electron valve.

The filament 5 is suitably heated, by the battery of accumulators 5 for instance. The plate 6 is connected in series with a resistance 7 A silent generator of alternating current of comparatively high frequency is connected across terminals 8 and feeds the primary of a transformer 9. One of the secondary windings 9' of this transformer feeds the anode 10 of themercury lamp 11 through the resistance 12. A second secondary winding '9 of the transformer 9 supplies the potential of the plate of the electron valve; it feeds therefore a resistance 13 through an induction coil 13 which displaces the phase of the current substantiall with reference to the potential of t e current feeding the mercury lamp. 7

A third winding 9 of the transformer 9 feeds a resistance 14 and affords a current the potential of which is opposed to that of the anode. The resistances 7 and 14 are connected in series and their extremities are connected on one side to the cathode and on the other to the coating of the mercury lamp. The connections described hereinbefore produce a potential in the coating the phase displacement of which, with reference to the anode, varies in accordance with the value of the acoustic waves reach ing the microphone.

As explained hereinbefore,- a phase-displacement of the potential of the coating with reference to that of the anode limits for each period of the alternating current feeding the rectifier the time during which the rectified current is allowed to pass.

This time is a given fraction of the eriod, so that the mean current passing t rough the lamp and the mean brilliancy of the arc vary correspondingly with this time of allowed passage.

The above described connections cause the brilliancy of the are to vary with the phase displacement of the potential of the coating and therefore with the intensity of the acoustic waves reaching the microphone.

In other words an acoustic wave makes the microphone wave alter which changes the potential of the grid 4. This in its turn causes a difference of potential between the points A and B and thereby a phasedisplacement of the potential of the coating.

In order to increase the brilliancy of the arc, withoutproducing an exaggerated heating of the whole of the tube which would prevent a proper working of the coating and a proper ins )ection of the brilliancy of the are, it is pre erable to provide the lamp with a narrow part along the axis of said lamp and in the direction which is to be lightened, The luminous rays can be projected by a lens 15 or by a suitable mirror.

In order to ensure secrecy to the optic signals, the visible part of the spectrum of .the rays produced can be eliminated by a suitable screen 16 which only lets either the ultraviolet or the ultra-red rays pass.

The optically transmitted signals can be received directly by the eye or by means of an optical device or else be registered on a photographic film.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with an arc lamp pro ided with an outer control grid fed by an alternating current of the same frequency as the feedin current of the lamp, means for making the phase-displacement of the said grid with reference to the feeding cur rent follow any desired inflexions, these variations of the phase displacen'ient occurring even at intervals smaller than the period of the currents, whereby the intensity of the rectified current produced by the arc lamp follows the said inflexions.\

2. In combination with share lamp provided with an. outer control grid fed by an alternating current of the same frequency as the feeding current of the lamp, means for feeding the control grid with a current in opposition with the feeding current and with a second current of variable amplitude according to the inflexions which it is desired to impress on the phase-displacement of the resultant current feeding the control grid, the said second current being phase-displaced by 90 with reference to the feeding current.

3. In combination with an arc lamp provided with an outer control grid fed by an alternating current of the same frequency as the feeding current of the lamp, means for feeding the control rid with a current in opposition with the Feeding current and with a second current phase-displaced by 90 with reference to the feeding current and the amplitude of the voltage of which is controlled by the plate of an ionic valve the grid of which receives the current whereof the variations are caused by the inflexions which it is desired to impress on the phasedisplacement of the resultant current feeding the control grid of the lamp. 4. The combination of a vapor electric device provided with a cathode and an anode enclosed within an evacuated vessel and with a grid. means arranged'to apply alternating current potentials between said cathode and said anode and between said cathode and said grid, a sound responsive device, and means arranged to vary the phase relation between the potentials of said grid and anode in accordance with the operation of said sound responsive device.

5. The combination of a vapor electric device provided'with a cathode and an anode enclosed with an evacuated vessel and with a grid, means arranged to apply alternating current potentials between said cathode and said anode and between said cathode and said grid, a sound responsive device, and means comprising an electron valve arranged to vary the phase relation between the potentials of said grid and anode in accordance with the operation of said sound responsive device.

6. The combination of a vapor electric device provided with a cathode and an anode enclosed within an evacuated vessel and with a grid, means ar 'anged to apply alternating current potentials between said cathode and said anode and between said cathode and said grid, means for producing electrical impulses, and means comprising an electron valve arranged to vary the phase relation between the potentials of said grid and anode in accordance with. said impulses.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

PIERRE MARIE GABRIEL TOULON. 

